I attended HHN 32 on September 3 (Sunday) with express pass. I got to complete all ten houses, and even did a pair of them twice. Additionally, towards the end of the night, I got on Revenge of the Mummy and Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. Both of those rides were awesome. First of all, I personally preferred Orlando's version of Mummy over Hollywood's. Getting a front-row nighttime ride on Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit was also incredible. Now, time to rank all ten houses from worst to best.
10) Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count x2
This house was not scary whatsoever. I was a big advocate for the use of puppets rather than Chucky actors but it simply didn't deliver. Instead of evoking a feeling of dread, the scares were easy to spot and the puppets never got close enough to actually appear threatening. Too many videos of Chucky throughout the house, but overall they weren't effective. I found the break in the middle to completely kill the flow, if there even was any. There isn't much that is memorable from this house.
9) Stranger Things 4
I will start by mentioning that I have never seen any season of "Stranger Things" so I wasn't looking forward to it as much as many others were. This house reminded me why previous Stranger Things houses in years prior haven't properly worked out (at least in Hollywood). Amazing sets and effects, but horrible scares. A majority of the scares in this house came courtesy of the human characters from the show, but those are not scary. I wanted to see more of Vecna, Demogorgons, and other creatures instead.
8) The Last of Us
I have also never played "The Last of Us" but was excited to see how a video game would translate into a house. The scenic was great, but once again the scares were rather lackluster. The first half also had lots of scares from the game's main characters (humans), which just doesn't do it for me. I did enjoy seeing the creatures towards the end, and the sounds they made were awesome. However, this is a horror event and the scares needed to be heightened tenfold.
7) Bloodmoon: Dark Offerings
This house had unbelievable scenic design, both in quality and grandeur. The color of red emanates from every room in this house, making everyone aware that the blood moon has risen and everyone is in danger. This house had lots of gore, yet I still found the scares to be tame. Additionally, every room felt the exact same as though there wasn't a sense of progression regarding the story of this original house. Lots of eye candy, but simultaneously bland in specific aspects.
6) The Exorcist: Believer
This house was rock bottom in my anticipation list, and it is safe to say it has absolutely exceeded the expectations I had. The sets are grand in scale, and the first room (facade) is actually amazing. The actors were aggressive but I personally failed to get any major scares. Also, I would prefer to see more of the devil rather than the two possessed girls who kept reappearing throughout the house. Overall, it had great props and sets and the scares were somewhat decent as well.
5) Dueling Dragons: Choose Thy Fate
This was at the top of my anticipation list (not because I know anything about the now-defunct ride), but because of the fantasy and magical theme. However, I feel it is for that reason exactly why this ranks in the middle as it is not scary whatsoever. The effects in this house are amazing, but the costumes feel too big and clunky. The sets are also a joy to look at and walk through, but I do think the actual "dueling dragons" part of the story is nonexistent. The ending where it splits is also anticlimactic, but still unique nonetheless. My sister and I chose ice and it was great to see the almighty Merlyn at the end.
There is a noticeable gap between rankings five and four since the rest are actually top-tier. They have a great mixture of BOTH amazing set design and scares.
4) The Darkest Deal x2
This house was fantastic in a plethora of ways. The facade was incredible to look at, with plenty of details. The music that could be heard from the queue was ominous and sent shivers down my spine. The entire storyline was executed great, from seeing the deal take place to entering the devilish afterlife that Pinestraw Spruce must endure for eternity. I really enjoyed walking through the sets, and the actors were very aggressive throughout the entirety of the house. The costume design was incredible, and the scares were clever. Altogether, this was an absolute joy to experience from start to finish.
3) Dr. Oddfellow's Twisted Origins
This house absolutely exceeded my expectations in so many ways. The outdoor circus tent facade was great to see, but it was the interior that made this house excellent. I really like the theme of walking into a shady circus tent that inhabits deranged carnies. The presence of Dr. Oddfellow himself worked well, but I think the main reason this was great is due to its intensity. The walkways are narrow, which ends up having the scares get right in-your-face and be effective.
2) YETI: Campground Kills
This house blew me away in many aspects. They yeti costumes were brilliant, as they were huge in scale and rather terrifying. The scares were well-positioned, and the overhead arm swing scare was clever. The set design absolutely immersed me into the campground, and it felt like I was actually being hunted and attacked by these massive creatures. The lake scene was actually mind-blowing. I do go camping occasionally myself, and I can assure you that this house is immersive and detailed.
1) Universal Monsters: Unmasked
This house was easily the best of the event in every aspect. The opening room deserves unlimited praise, the bridge with the live actor looked phenomenal and the raining effect complimented the room flawlessly. All of the monsters had their moments to shine, but I especially liked the Phantom of the Opera and Mr. Hyde the most. However, this house was also scary and had a lot of eerie tension throughout. It gave me one of the best scares I have ever gotten in the Invisible Man attacking from above. I literally jumped three steps backwards and was surprised I didn't hit the floor. Amazing house and a stroke of genius from a design standpoint.
In terms of the scarezones, none of them are scary in the slightest and are barely even memorable. To the average guest who wasn't aware of Dr. Oddfellow, all of these seem like zones themed to rather basic Halloween concepts and ideas. Definitely felt underwhelmed, the only saving grace was Vamp '69: Summer of Blood, which played "Sweet Caroline" once in a while and had everyone jumping and dancing.
I also wanted to include my brother's house rankings:
10) Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count
9) The Last of Us
8) Dr. Oddfellow's Twisted Origins
7) Stranger Things 4
6) The Exorcist: Believer
5) Bloodmoon: Dark Offerings
4) Dueling Dragons: Choose Thy Fate (he chose the fire side at the end)
3) The Darkest Deal
2) YETI: Campground Kills
1) Universal Monsters: Unmasked
Overall, I had a lot of fun and was pleasantly surprised by the scenic quality, especially the large detailed sets that accompanied most houses. However, the scares need to be improved in general. The express definitely came in clutch, as I was able to do a total of 12 houses, spend ample time in the zones, and even get on 2 rides (which also had hour-long wait times). I did stay until park closure, but it is safe to say without express, I would probably only have completed 20% of what I actually did (my overarching goal being to do every house once) while not being able to enjoy myself and take my time without spending the entire time in very long lines in the scorching sun. The express lines were usually 5-15 minutes, the only exception being The Last of Us which took around 30. I would advise against going opening weekend at all costs (except if, like myself, it is the only time you can attend). However, if you do, express is a must or else you're simply torturing yourself. With all that said and done, time to go and do Hollywood's event!